Sketchfab: That’s How Real Designers Roll

December 14, 2013

Still excited for the last article (about The Spacemaker)? Well, here we come with today’s dose of cool stuff, that does cool things in a brand-new (cool) way!

Introducing Sketchfab: set aside all you know about renders and 3D models, ‘cause some TechStars NY alumni have just delivered you with something that allows everyone to display 3D contents on any web page, finally bringing 3D into a way too flat 2D internet!

According to them: “Sketchfab is for everyone! For folks who make 3D content and want to show and share it: artists, designers, engineers, brands, architects, 3D scanners, etc. And for people who just want to browse an awesome new media and dive into incredible environments”. AGREED!

sketchfab

How it works: the Sketchfab 3D viewer relies on the WebGL JavaScript API to display 3D models and is built using the open-source OSG.JS JavaScript library. This allows the display of 3D models on any webpage (even Facebook, Behance, Linkedin, Kickstarter, WordPress pages and forums) without the need of third-party plugins; for the viewer to work properly, the browser have to support WebGL; in case it doesn’t, the Sketchfab viewer will use a 2D fallback displaying a pre-rendered 3D model.

All you need to do is create a free account and upload a 3D model (27 supported formats). The server will process it and display it in real-time in the browser. You can add meta information and share your model on the web, plus, viewer can be embedded on any web page. “Just like Youtube, but for 3D files”, they say.

Plans & Pricing: Sketchfab is… awesomely free! No fee at all, to upload an unlimited number of public models (50MB each) and enjoy unlimited views and embeds. Need more? For more exigent users there’s, a Pro version, and a Business version, for those who want to use Sketchfab for commercial purposes (schools, cultural institutions and non-profit organizations get a discount).

Car in Sketchfab

Need Help? It’s well known that dealing with web tools is not something for the Average Joe, that’s why Sketchfab’s guys have provided users with several different tutorials on how to make beautiful models and how to easily publish them on Sketchfab; take a look at their blog for more.
Simple screenshots or “show-reels” are for losers: just get you some of this “Sketchfab thing” and start playing like a real pro! :)Author: Davide Nastasi